Burial casket



. Fels.A 4, 1930. f w. A. KNAUs BURIAL GASKET Filed April 2o, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 "Il" nu Sies* Feb. 4, 1930. l w. A. kNAus 1,746,195

BURIAL GASKET l' Filed April 2o, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 WIL'LAM A. KNAUS,

Patented Feb. 4, f 1.930

UNITED STATES j PATENT i' on ONEIVDA, NEW YORK, AssIGNoRfTonATIoNAL GASKET COM- PANY, A conronnrronornnw Yong j f Y,BURIAL lcAsxfn'r, f

Application alsa April 2o, i927. semaine. 185,317.r

Y Gaskets are made in variousdesigns to sat-V isfy the tastes of different people. The mam yobject 'of my presentinvention is to produce a construction which is at once solid and sub stantial and yet provided with means for proyducing,r the attractive ornamental appearances of other constructions. Various orna-l mental ,display effects have been yproduced by dividing the sides and top ofthe casket so that the sides maybe opened sectionally.

Such constructions are, however', expensive'` f' to make and rarelikely to become warpedA out a I' of shape unless very carefully constructed.

In a sense, my invention constitutes an im provement upon the construction of the Mac- I sign and be made ofany material. The bodyv or shell may be of the regular solid or ,uncut type sol as to preserveall the possible strength of the `:material and avoid joints or` cracks."-

The invention contemplates an attachment as applied to caskets regardless of the'vtype of cover or top, hinged or detachablef-Ialso lwishit understood that thefinvention is applicable to constructions having the cover either in one piece orfin two .pieces and that it maybe applied to the full lengthor half length of the casket,cas desired. Expressed in itssimplest terms the invention properly `contemplates the provision of a skeleton like frame hinged along one or `more edges of the] `casket and adapted tov be folded up snugly vso withinthe casket on extended out over theA sides or ends at various angles. Thisframe is covered with suitable padding or ornamen# Vtal material made according to any desired design.' Y, `1 is a front view of one form of casket i with a two piece cover, one part being shown raisedand the ornamental lining displayed or spread out so as to give' the appearance of a regular half couch. A

FgZ isa transverse sectional view on yinside the shell and the cover closed.

a somewhat larger scale,k showing the cover raised andthe liningspread out. n

' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing the lining and-frame folded up e Fig. 4 isa detail view on a somewhatl larger scale showing end and sideframes. in vari' ously adjusted positions. v Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofone of the folding frames. Y ,Fig. 6' isa perspective view showingfa modiied detail'of'construction..V l f,

The body ors'helfl 10 may be of anysuit- 'ablev design, construction .fori material, but. preferably with the sides, ends and bottom solidly and permanently constructed fand secured together, to, lprovide as much strength asVA possible and without cracks,- joints yor y feo hinges. The cover orvtopv may be in lone-or f morelpie'ces. In the form herein shown there are two parts 11 and 12, which are detachable or hinged:` or both, as desired', accordingpto any approvedfcasket construction.A These cover sections are yalso solid and substantial and without joints, oncraeks.

It should, vof course,'"be understood, how#r ever,that-the upper section4 11 might have a detachable panell 13 of? any suitable form.l

The construction might also be providedwith an intern al glass or screen (not shown) in i any well known manner. f

l The folding frame which'in a `sense constitutes an attachment forfa vstandard type casket, is made up of one'or more articulated hinges formed of metal. [The various sections" 14, 15^and 16 of one lofthesejhinges are hinged Y to. each other at .17'and `18 by anysuitable; y

form of frictional hingejfdesign so tha-tlthe hinges may be set up tight.'eno'ug/ghV to hold,

v 4the parts in any desired-position and yet per? Amit. thep'arts tofbe folded intovarious Ipo;-l Asitionsasf shown'in Fig. 4, lThesecton 14, is adaptedjto be secured toy thelinner walll) of the shell insuch "a position rthatthe joint.;- 417 'comes substantially `en a levelwith the Y upper edge ofthe shell. When'the par-liser spread out fullythe section l15 .will therefQr-H l 1 rest upon-the upper edge of' theAShP/ll. f when f the,partelare..4 folded nnin'sdeithesheuthey ,i

in place within the casket shell andY to the y folding frame in any desired manner. The end of the shell may be provided with a similar folding frame and lining section 24EV frame and cover when folded inside the casket being no thicker between said hinge members than the thickness of said rods and the layers ofthe flexible cover, and the outermost section of each hinge member being constructed to bev foldableJ .under the adjacent section' of the same member when said adjacent section is laterally extended.l

. Y WILLIAM A, Knaus,v

adjustable independently of the front frame both inside and outside of the shell. The cover may also be provided with an ornamental lining 25 of any suitable design or material.

securedto. the folding frame. In Fig. 6 vI yhave shown the outer sections 16 as provided 'with an extension 26 which has a snap member 27 adapted to receive a companion snap (not shown) attached to the lining.

. The lining may be stitched or otherwise.

According to my invention the attachments may be so arranged and adjusted as to'produce the effect of a drop side casketwithout the disadvantage of the weakening by cutting or hinging the parts of the shell. By having the ends and sides adjustable independently of each otherl it is possible with the same construction to display the casket with a full or half couch effect or with a third drop side effect. By folding the support entirely withinthe shell, the'casket will have' theappeary ance of a regular casket without any externally visible adjustments or extensions. Thusa dealer may display the casket in `various dif-V ferent ways to illustrate to a customer different designs and effects. He thus'can convert the casket in its various forms withoutV -the necessity of carrying a large number of A styles which may become obsolete as styles change.Y Iclaim: Y

The combination with a burial casket, of d a supporting frame adapted to be compactly foldable adjacent an inner face of a casket wall and extensible outside said casket, said framecomprising spaced multi section hinge members, the inner sections of each member being secured-to the inner face of a casket y, wall with the oint between said inner section and its adjacent section located at substantially tlieftop of the supporting wall to allow said adjacent section to be supported contiguous and substantially horizontal across the Y top of the casket wall the outer sections ofeach hinge member being movable to extend laterv ally outside and away from the said supporting wall, a thin yrod connecting the hinge l 1 members adjacent their outer joints and kthe outer end portions of the outermosthingesecl tions toi-constitute.' ai support for a flexible j coverfifor'fsaid-france5 Vthe*materials 'of' the' i A13o 

